Rail-joint.



C. S. BROOMHALL.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 7, 1912. 1,070,401 Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

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CLARENCE S. BROOMHALL, OF SPENCERS STATION, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ane. 19,1913.

Application filed February 7, 1912. Serial No. 675,997.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, CLARENCE S. BRooM- HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spencers Station, in the county of Guernsey and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in rail joints.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a simple, novel and effective means for securing the meeting ends of a pair of railway rails, wherein the lateral movement of the rails, as well as the sagging thereof at their points of jointure incident to the rolling stock passing thereover is effectively overcome, thus materially adding to the life of the rails as well as to the comfort of the traveling public.

I further aim to provide the meeting ends 0f a pair of rails with rectangular longitudinally extending tongues or flanges which are adapted to coperate with longitudinally extending grooves provided in angular fish plates, the said fish plates thus providing locking elements which effectively sustain the rail ends against either lateral or sagging movement.

With the above recited objects in view, and others of a similar nature, the invention resides in the construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

For the purpose of explaining the invention, the accompanying drawing illustrates a satisfactory reduction of the same to practice, but the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangement and organization shown and described.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of railway rails connected in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the rail ends. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail A--A designate a pair of' railway rails. These rails have their body portions constructed in the usual manner comprising each a head 1, a base flange 2 and a connecting web 3. rllhe rails have their ends of a similar formation, and, therefore, the reference characters indicating the details of the construction of one of the rail ends may be understood as applicable to the co-acting rail end. Each of the rail ends has its web 3 provided upon its opposite faces with approximately centrally arranged longitudinally extending tongues 1l. These tongues are preferably rectangular in section, and the webs are provided with elongated bolt openings 5 which are arranged preferably central of the longitudinal length of t-he tongues 4.

The base flanges 2 of the rails are of the ordinary size and thickness, but the said base flanges are each integrally formed with an angular member 6 which extends upwardly from the said base. The inner wall of each of the members 6 is vertically straight and is disposed a distance away from the face of the web of the rail equal or slightly lesser than the distance from the outer walls of the tongues l from said web. rThe upper wall of each of the members 6 is inclined downwardly from the said inner wall to its juncture with the base flange of the rails. The inner wall of each of the members 6 thus provides a shoulder or abutment, the purpose of which will presently be set forth, while the angular upper wall provides a reinforcement for the base flanges of the rails, as well as for an additional purpose which will also be presently set forth. The spaces between the inner walls of the members 6 and the webs 3 provide pockets for the reception of the longitudinally ext-ending ribs 7 formed upon the lower portion of the vertical walls of angular fish plates 8. rlhe lower wall of each of the fish plates is under-cut to receive the base flanges 2 of the rails, and the said under faces are further provided with longitudinally extending grooves 9, the said grooves having their upper walls inclined to correspond with the inclined upper face of each of the members 6 of the rails. The inner faces of the vertical members of each of the fish plates are approximately centrally provided with longitudinally extending grooves 10, the said grooves being of a size and shape to snugly engage the tongues 4f provided upon the webs 3 of the rails. The upper face of each of the vertical members of the angular' fish plates 8 is of a shape and size to snugly engage beneath the heads of the rails, and the said vertical members of the fish plates are provided with openings which are adapted to register with the openings 5 of the rails, and passing through all of these openings are bolts 11 which have their threaded projecting portions engaged by securing nuts 12. 'i

When the angle bars or fish plates are arranged upon the rails, danger of accidental displacement or removal of the said fish plates from the rails will loe effectively overcome, and in a manner which will not subject the rails proper to strain, the said strain being taken up by the members 6 and the tongue 4. Should such an outward movement occur at the upper portion of either of the fish plates strain would be directed from the wall providing the groove 9 to the inclined upper face of the member 6 and have a tendency to bind the lower wall pro-vided bythe groove 10 against the lower wall of the tongue t. Should an outward or lateral movement of either of the fish plates occur at the lower portions of said plates, the inner and vertically straight wall of the lip 7 would be forced into contact with the vertically straight wall of the member 6 and would tend to force the vertical member of the fish plate more tightly into engagement with the tongue and web of the rail as well as beneath the head of the rail. By such an arrangementthe employment of the securing nuts and bolts is only required to sustain the rails, as well as the connecting angle bars or fish plate against longitudinal movement. 1

In connecting the rails, the meeting ends thereof are positioned upon a tie 13 which is arranged intermediate of similar ties 141-. The fish plates are slid upon the opposite faces of the rails until their grooves engage with the tongues of the said rails. The vnuts and bolts are then applied and the fish plates are retained upon the ties 13 and 111 by the usual spikes 15 which are driven into the said ties and which have their heads overlapping and engaging with the longitudinal edges of the fish plates.

From the above description, taken in con-i nection with the accompanying drawing, the simplicity of the device, as well as the many advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is In a rail joint, rails each having its web adjacent its ends provided with longitudinally extending tongues which project from the opposite faces of the web and which are substantially rectangular in cross section, the base flanges of the Vrails having their upper faces integrally formed with reinforcing members, which have their inner walls vertically straight and spaced from the webs of the rails a distance approximately equal to the width of the tongues and which have their upper walls inclined outwardly to a distance beyond the longitudinal edges of the base flanges, angle bars for the rails ends, the vertical members of the-angle bars being grooved to lreceive the vtongues of the webs, the lower edges ofthe vertical members being formed with extending tongues, the outer wall of whichbeing vertically straight and adapted to engage with the vertical walls of the reinforcing members, the angular member of each of the angle bars being recessed to receive the base flanges of the rails and being grooved to receive the angular upper walls of the reinforcing members, securing elements for the angular members of the angle bars and the latter adapted to abut with the longitudinal edges of the rail flanges, and mea-ns for securing the vertical members of the angle bars to the webs of the rails.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' CLARENCE S. BROOMI-IALL.

Vitnesses:

WM. J. KOERTH, BENNETT S. JONES.

Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

